Cider’s had a varied reputation over the years. For me, it was the first alcoholic drink I started drinking regularly (42p a half down The George in Wanstead in 1985 when I was 15 [ssh, don’t tell my mum]). After my early years of drinking sweet Woodpecker underage in the pub, I progressed onto what I thought were more sophisticated dry ciders such as Diamond White and Merrydown (okay, I only drank Merrydown to get hammered, like everyone else, but Diamond White and Merrydown came in glass bottles and not tins, so I thought they were posh). But apart from cider being the tipple of teenagers, other images conjured up by cider drinkers are:
a) The Wurzels (if you don’t know who they are, they had a hit with ‘I Am A Cider Drinker’ in 1976 – check out the video here – which they inexplicably updated in 2007 with a new video featuring Tony Blackburn; and b) homeless people clutching 2-litre plastic bottles of strong cider, usually containing ‘White’ in its name.
Then cider reinvented itself, becoming no longer just for underage girls, scruffy country bumpkins masquerading as popstars and homeless people (oh, and my friend Gary). Cider got trendy and started appearing in bars and supermarkets in flavours other than apple (much to the horror and disgust of my friend Gary who believes cider should only – with the exception of perry – be apple-flavour). Now you can get cider in all kinds of flavours such as toffee apple, strawberry & lime, and mixed fruit. However, most of the flavoured ciders you can buy in shops and bars are mass-produced and full of chemicals, flavourings and not much fruit content. Crafty Nectar wanted to offer people something different and created a way to bring traditionally made, artificial-flavouring-free and high-juice-content cider to cider-lovers everywhere. They source each cider on their website from small, independent producers and deliver it straight to your door – whether it’s a gift, a one-off order or a monthly subscription. Not only are their ciders high in juice content and artificial-flavouring-free, they’re also gluten-free and suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
Crafty Nectar sent me a box of three ciders to try, along with tasting notes telling me about the cider and what food it goes with. I’m going to be honest here and say I haven’t actually tried any of them yet because I broke my foot three weeks ago and I’m abstaining while it heals (although the ciders look so gorgeous, I think my abstinence will be put on hold at the weekend). But I can show you what they look like and tell you all about them.
Angioletti – Rosé – 4% ABV
Man, I want to try this so badly. I mean, rosé with blueberry? This is right up my cidery street and I want to drink this in the garden on a hot summer’s day. But, alas – it’s March in the UK and there was snow last week and now it’s raining and the heating’s been on since October so, sod summer, this’ll do indoors on a cold night instead. This Italian craft cider is made in the same way as Prosecco but using apples and blueberry instead of grapes. Crafty Nectar says it’s good with dishes such as roast peach, basil and buffalo mozzarella salad but I think Crafty Nectar may have had too much of their own cider because… roast peach in a salad? Really?
West Milton Cider Co – Lancombe Rising – 5% ABV
Lancombe Rising is a naturally sparkling cider made using the ancient art of Keeving, which produces a full-flavoured fermentation. This award-winning cider goes well with seitan and Linda McCartney Quarterpounders (okay, the tasting notes said red meats like beef, but this is a veggie blog so seitan and LM burgers it is).
Kentish Pip – Wild Summer Elderflower – 4% ABV
I made elderflower champagne a couple of years ago with elderflowers from the garden. I was too scared to drink it though as I had a three-week hangover just from giving it a sniff. But I do love elderflower drinks so I’m looking forward to trying this Wild Summer Elderflower cider from Kentish Pip. It’s infused with pollen and nectar from wild elderflowers picked on their farm and the surrounding countryside. Doesn’t that sound beautifully bucolic? Crafty Nectar says it’s fantastic with a picnic or with soft vegetable dishes like roast squash, aubergine or pumpkin. Yes to all of the above please.
This is just a tiny selection of the cider Crafty Nectar has to offer. As the UK’s 1st craft cider subscription box company, you can have a box sent to your door or desk each month containing either 6 (the Taster box) or 12 (the Discovery box) different and unique craft ciders. You don’t have to get a subscription though; you can pick and mix or send a gift or you can win a Discovery box of 6 ciders in my giveaway below!
Giveaway – Win a Crafty Nectar Cider Discovery Box
I’m offering one reader of Planet Veggie the chance to win a Discovery box of 6 craft ciders from Crafty Nectar. Just enter via the Rafflecopter widget below. Good luck! If you don’t win, or can’t wait to find out if you have won, Planet Veggie readers can use the code ‘CRAFTY10’ for 10% off all subscriptions and cider gifts. Click here to be taken to the Crafty Nectar website where 10% will be applied at checkout.
Thanks to Crafty Nectar for sending me some cider to review and for supplying the prize.
179 comments
oooh I really like cider! Thanks for the chance x
Discovery box is the right name because you can discover lots of different flavours
I love cider, but I have never tried these brands before
Love anything with elderflower in it – would love to try x
I would love to find a change of cider I’m addicted to Brothers at the moment lol
My throats so dry its fit to burst I need something quick to stop my thirst, ask yourself what could be finer than a great big bottle of cider? I want it flowing to my brain I want my head to spin again,I want to fool around and shout but unfortunately the shop has run out…
Ooh the rose one looks posh. Did you ever have blastaways? Castaway which was a weird fruity wine thing and diamond white… student night special in Luton!
This would be a nice box to share with my husband.
Have not seen these before so would be nice to try out the different flavours with my OH
I’m a big fan of cider. It can be really refreshing when it’s hot.
nice giveaway, cheers!
i love drinking and cooking with cider
We are big cider fans in this house and I would love to win this for us x
Love cider (so does hubby) so trying new flavours sounds fab!
I really enjoy a cider, especially on a summer evening in our garden.
I absolutely love cider as there is so many varieties and flavours that I am spoiled for choice
I love cider, and especially trying new ones. Fingers crossed and thanks for the chance XXX
What a lovely, interesting and exotic range of flavours are included in this selection.
Ooo lovely I love cider would like to try these
I love ‘real’ ciders and have not seen these before. Worth a try I think, so I shal wait by the letter box…. 🙂
Everyone thought I was strange when I was younger because I was drinking Ciders instead of lagers like the other “Lads” . Glad I stuck to Cider much nicer drink.
this looks amazing, would love to try all the different flavours
I’m a massive cider fan and really enjoy trying new brands and flavours.
Wow! Would really LOVE to try these lovely selection of ciders!
Wow fantastic prize,have always loved cider and would certainy quench my thirst
I really love cider especially on hot summer days, it reminds me of good times
Oooh, I would love to try this. I’m a wine girl at the weekend, but I like to try different things for my ‘Tuesday Tipple’ treat.
I love cider, the elderflower one would be great to try as I’ve not seen it before. Thanks for running the competition 🙂
Looks like a lovely set that would make the perfect gift for my hubby’s birthday xx
these look delicious- I love to try new craft ciders
These look interesting and would be lovely to try out
love cider and this looks like it is a really tasty blend.
I would usually give cider to my husband who is Coeliac and cannot drink beers unless they are gluten free,so cider is ideal for him. But these ciders look delicious so if I win I might insist he shares !
Cider is better than lager
Great prize, lovely looking gift but would love to try these ciders for myself rather than give them away
I am a great fan of cider and would like to try these
Who’d have thought cider could be so fay? Would love to give this a go…
I would really like to try these ciders – as soon as we get a warm day!
Have to say love the sound of the blueberry one , love blueberry with anything
Mmmm these sound and look very tasty
blueberry is amazing thank you
Would love to try all of these, especially the elderflower one!
Really like cider, especially the unusual ones. They all sound delicious!
Wow fantastic prize love drinking cider in the summer months
Great prize! Rose with Blueberry sounds particularly tempting.
These all look really good. I hadn’t realised there was such a variety of ciders out there!
Nothing better than a drink of cider. A lovely selection here too. Would love to try these brands. Thanks for the chance x
Growing up cider was gor getting drunk quickly (diamond white & K). It put me off for a few years. Glad I tried it again as was certainly missing out. Craft ciders are delicious. Refreshing and unique flavours. Perfect for sitting outside in the sun with
I,m a huge cider fan would love to try them
Wow, there are a lot of different options to try, never realised!
Love to try new, quality ciders and haven’t heard of crafty nectar before – thanks for the heads up!
I’d love to do a pairing menu with these, any excuse for a yummy meal and drink 🙂
I love craft ciders and often try new varieties when I go to Real Ale festivals. Would love to try these
love craft ciders, would love to try these they look amazing and lush
This is a marvellous prize! I love craft ciders and think these would taste delicious!
This looks a great prize would love to try it as I’ve never tried it before
I’m quite partial to a cider or two. I used to drink it quite a lot in my teens!
Three interesting ciders. I like the idea of blueberries, but not sure about elderflower.
Would love to win this for my partner. Quality ciders are his favourite tipple. These would make a great alternative to an Easter Egg! Thank you for offering this lovely giveaway.
I’m not a big drinker but when i do indulge cider is my drink of choice
I have loved cider for a long time! This would be great!
What a fantastic idea! All of these ciders look really good!
Love discovery boxes and love elderflower-based beverages. Thanks for the fab giveaway.
These sound wonderful. I would love to try them all
Craft cider is my drink of choice, on a lazy summers day,ice cold there is nothing nicer.
I would love to win this. I am a veggie but find it had to know when drinks like this are suitable.
Brilliant competition – thank you for the chance to win. Lovely selection you have there.
I am only just starting to appreciate cider and am now on the lookout for different flavours to enjoy.
I love good quality cider, the taste is just so much better than the bland, fizzy factory made stuff.
I do enjoy a good quality cider especially in the garden in the summer sunshine not too long to wait now.
Can’t wait to try a variety of ciders
This is a great chance to try some very different ciders.
They all sound rather tasty! Perfect cold with ice on a summers afternoon.
I like cider- I get a fancy for it when the nights become lighter and the signs of Spring appear. But I’d love to try something beyond standard supermarket offerings!
Cider is my favourite drink on a warm sunny day, these would be great to try.
Would love to try these ciders, ready for summer bbqs! Come on weather!
this wouls be lovely to share with the hubby especially on a sunny day
My husband would be thrilled if I won these for him – he’s a big Cider fan!
I love cider and give new ones a try as they come out but Ive never had Elderflower cider. I love elderlower and appple wine and fruit juice tho.
Now these sound really interesting. I’m not a fan of the mainstream brands’ flavour variations but these sound like they would actually taste of something beyond a vaguely fruity sugary thing, especially the Angioletti!
I love a good cider, especially in the summer months
These sound fantastic, I love trying new drinks, especially delicious ones like these.
We love cider, it goes perfectly with a cheese fondue (yes we are old fashioned lol) and lovely when the sun is shining at a picnic or just sitting in the garden
I find it so annoying that so many ciders, beers, & wines are not vegan. I’m a vegetarian who brews my own beer and all thats needed to make it vegan is patience. Cider / Beer / Wine doesn’t need finings, it will clear itself naturally if left just a little longer. I’m currently enjoying a finings-free beer (honestly, as I write this I am)which is as clear as any I’ve ever had, it just took a bit longer to clear. I do love cider though, I love it as much as beer but I don’t have either access to enough apples or a press to extract the juice – so I can’t make cider, but I really would love to win some that I can be confident hasn’t been cleared by dead fishy swim bladders!
Great prize. I’m used to the beer subscription boxes but cider is interesting too.
I love cider especially the fruity ones. I have also cooked on occassion with it x
So obsessed with cider, it would be great to try some new ones!!
I love cider especially the lesser known brands and these all look tasty x
These look interesting – rose with blueberry sounds ideal for Summer.
Love the sound of these drinks
I love trying new brands so this would be fantastic.
Great prize, I love cider. Thanks for the opportunity to win
I would love to try this cider, a really bespoke and artisan product
These look so nice, bet they taste delicious and great for a summer BBQ!
I like cider and like to try different brands these look good thanks for the chance to win some
I am a cider lover and this sounds so great!
Ive not seen these before, they look great and a bit different too, yum!
Love flavoured ciders, some of these looks like really nice combos for Summer!
I love cider and over the years, so many different flavours have been released. This is a great way to try some and would go down a treat on a hot summer’s day!
Love these, good for a chilled out gathering
Lovely giveaway thank you just perfect for the hopefully up and coming warmer evenings
And craft cider is the best. Preferably dry, preferably chilled.
I love cider and would really love to try these. But I would have to hide them from my husband 🙂
this sounds lovely and would be up my other halfs street he would love it
I really enjoy a cider, especially a cold dry one in the summer
I love cider,find it very refreshing, rose with blueberry sounds amazing:)
I love cider especially on a warm summer evening in the garden
Oof, YUMMM. x
Would love to win, cider is my fav esp in summmertime
I always love to discover new flavours- this is the perfect giveaway for me 😀
Lovely giveaway. My dad would adore this as he loves trying new drinks x
Entered, hoping they are all vegan. If not I would just want the ones that were.
Looks like a really lovely range of goods x x
I would love to try these – they look lovely 🙂
My husband loves a glass of cider so this would be a great win for him.
I love cider in summer – not a beer drinker so a great alternative 🙂
i love cider – i like the new fruit ciders alot and the old traditional!
Cider is my favourite drink, so this would be a great prize for me. A nice summer would be had 🙂
I havent tried craft ciders, and loving cider this would be wonderful, many thanks…
I love cider and I always stick to the same old stuff, it would be lovely to try out something new. Thank you for the chance.
Oh my – craft ciders now – would love to try somewith the family in the garden with some nice food!
Thank you so much for this great giveaway and i do have to admit i enjoy a nice cider on the weekend.
a lovely chilled glass of cider goes down a treat once the little ones are in bed of a weekend.
Me and the boyfriend are massive cider fiends. Don’t know whether I would share this though
I love a really cold cider with ice in summer with a bbq
i love cider, always check if there are any special or unusual ciders available when I order drinks 🙂
sound great, I would share with my hubster
I love the different fruit ciders and the elderflower one sounds delicious perfect on a hot day with a nice ploughmans or salad.
I would love to win this! It would make a great gift!
I don’t drink much but cider is definitely something I enjoy!
Love cider but I seldom treat myself so would be great to win. Looking forwards to Spring and sitting outside drinking 🙂
a great giveaway. they look very tempting and am sure are really tasty
This looks so good. Fingers crossed I’m lucky enough to win!
What a lovely selection of ciders, perfect for a barbecue if the weather every brightens up!
I would like some different brews in my mancave, board of normal lagers and ciders now
This looks awesome. Thank you for the chance.
such a lovely selection of ciders fingers crossed I am lucky enough to win
Amazing prize, would love to try these ciders, my hubby and I love trying new ones
That elderflower flavoured one does sound worth a try. I love elderflower drinks, and I rather like cider, so sounds perfect.
These look amazing I would love to try them ,I love the bottles too and the colours
Ooh, this would be a lovely win for my other half (I’m pregnant so can’t partake myself at the moment! 🙁 )
We’re a beer drinking household but we could ‘discover’ a new fave if we win this prize – thank you xx
What a wonderful treat this would be – the flavours look absolutely great.
What a great prize, I would share this with my other half. He would like it
A great giveaway for a cider lover, they look really tasty
wow, what a lovely prize, great for a gift for my mum!
Wonderful, love trying new types of cider, or wine, or beer!
Wow. My parents love cider so I’d give this to them if I won.
I love that there is craft cider, and not just craft beer. I love trying ciders!
I have yet to try a craft cider, would love to experience something new!
OMG. Just seen a post about Blastaways. In Durham we poured a bottle of castaway and a bottle of diamond white into a pint glass then filled it up with Vodka. Well we were teenagers
This is a fabulous giveaway. Many thanks for the chance to win.
I love cider, but I have never tried these brands before, thanks!
Such a wonderful giveaway! I love cider, especially if it’s a bit different 🙂
What great looking and sounding cider. I really like the sound of the Rose one.
Fab giveaway x
My sons loves cider so this would be a great present for him!
rosé with blueberry sound so lovely. definitely a must try for me
Yum, these sounds delicious – cider is my favourite alcoholic drink 🙂
I haven’t seen these before but I would love to try them, they look really delicious!
This is a great idea. I like ciders,but never know which not choose. This would make cider drinking a lot of fun.
This would be lovely to try. I love new drinks
i’m always on the look out for new and exciting cider flavours, these look fab x
Would love to win this for my boyfriend, he loves cider
I love trying out different varieties of fruit ciders and these look such a nice selection.
would love to try these love cider lovely giveaway fingers crossed
Lovely selection of ciders with fab flavours
these look FAB , what a lovely selection and giveaway. LOve trying new drinks
i would love to win this for my hubby, he could do with a nice treat
I’d really like to try this, i’ve never had craft cider before! (which is shocking because i call myself a cider drinker!!)
these look lovely – would love to try the rose and blueberry one.
mmmm very tasty ideal for the bank holiday thanks for the chance
I would love to try this cider, I live cider.
These boxes look brilliant – What a wonderful idea – I would love to try them
What a wonderful prize! I’d love to win for my other half 🙂
Great prize for my old dad when he house sits for me.
these sound great – I’m a big cider drinker 🙂
We love a good cider in the summer so would love to win this xx
Would love to win, I love a good cider and my girlfriend absolutely loves anything with elderflower in it!
Wow. Cider has become so diverse of late. I want to try them all.